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2007/02/25

The Woman Running For President Is 'Senator Clinton'

...not 'Hillary'! In fact, if you're not a personal friend of the Clinton's, then you shouldn't be using her first name at all.

So why am I tweaked off about this now? I just got a look at another worthless article--this one from Newsweek, reprinted at MSNBC--tangentially exploring the possible effect of the former president's impeachment and infidelities on the Senator's campaign. This is basically crap reporting, but in the article they refer to the junior senator from NY as "Hillary" no less than four times.

What is it about the former First Lady that emboldens people to take the liberty of referring her by her first name? Usually, we only use a politician's first name to mock or to satirize. It's disrespectful, and in my opinion reporters who routinely do this to Senator Clinton are showing her the same kind of disrespect. Speaker Pelosi is never referred to simply as Nancy. Nobody refers to Senator Snowe as "Olympia" or Diane Feinstein as "Diane", and if Senator Clinton was a man, this issue wouldn't even come up. Newsweek's article shur as sh*t never refers to Senator Obama as "Barack"!

I see your point, but she kinda started it by trying to avoid all the negatives associated with the Clinton name and running as Hillary for President. But you're right, journalists should show a little respect.

Do you realize that if Hillary does become president, then just two American families will have been in charge of the White House for nearly a quarter century.I've seen Obama referred to as Obama, and laura as Laura, and McCain as McCain, and frankly none of the deserves respect until they do something worthy of respect.

Hedy, Lew... I haven't seen a single instance where Senator Clinton has traded on her first name. I've seen many third parties such as HillaryNow.com. Likewise, many politicians are referred to by their last names, 'Obama', 'McCain', 'Clinton', but it does not show the same level of disrespect, IMHO.

Finally, I think that this:

...and frankly none of the deserves respect until they do something worthy of respect.

...is exactly bass-ackwards. Polite society is based on the notion that everyone is deserving of respect until they prove otherwise. I may not like Senator Clinton. I may want her to remain in the Senate, but I also realize that she has already accomplished more in her lifetime than I will in mine.

hmmm, at first I thought it was a derogatory woman thing, but then you rightly pointed out other female senators. So maybe it's because her first name is a bit distinctive? No that doesn't work either (think Olympia). I may not like her much, but from now on will use either her full name or title. Do I have to extend the same considertion to Condaleeza? ~~ D.K.

This will draw guffaws from all over without a doubt, but technically, Senators are OUR employees. They work for US, do they not? Were you to have a maid named Mrs. Jane Doe employed for you for many years, you would probably say "Jane, could you do this?"

There are some that have such high name recognition, that one name identifies them. "Cher" comes readily to mind.

Granted, our senators aren't maids (many wouldn't be qualified), but they aren't God's, either. They haven't earned any "respect", other than the basic respect given to anyone.

I find it interesting, that during the Monica Lewinski scandal, Hilary went from being called "The First Lady", to "Mrs. Clinton", to "Hilary." I believe that was because millions grew to identify with her one on one in a sympathetic manner, not as the wife of the President.

Finally, aren't we starting to split fine hairs when we're "dissing a politician" by their given names we call them? I have a lot of names for Hilary, the Former First Lady, now Senator from New York, and none of them start with Senator. But that's just my opinion. Were I to meet her, I would certainly greet her as any other married woman, Mrs. Clinton.

I guess I'll have to bow out of this discussion, seeing as I just had a post a while back entitled "McClinton." I will add that the first time I met My Senator it was with my wife at a "Moms for Hillary" event...

I think the first-name usage comes partially because there are enough really ignorant die-hard Bushies out there who would mistakenly believe that "Senator Clinton" was, in fact, the former President, rather than his wife.

Never overestimate the intellectual capability of the bible-belters.

I could say more.. but it tends toward the unacceptably raunchy and I would like to avoid that this morning.

D.K... I think it's both derogatory towards women and personal toward the Senator. As I said, this would not be an issue if Senator Clinton were a man.

TFWY... People who trade on their single name don't count in my book (e.g., "Cher"). So then the question is whether or not Senator Clinton does this. I am definitely incorrect about some her related sites doing this. They do, but you don't see Senator Clinton insisting that she be referred to as "Hillary" in say...Senate committee meetings.

ThomasLB...welcome to Blognonymous.

Yeah...we all use derogatory names for the President. Guess he fits the "...actions not deserving of respect category."

I use their first names not out of disrespect but because it's quicker to type one word rather than two. See, I'm sort of lazy :)

PoP... I bet that you don't do that for most Senators. Do you use "Barack"? ;-)

Praguetwin... I think you have a point on the "folksy" thing, but if that is their aim, I think it's a mistake. Personally, I like the "professional distance" of the title. Gives me more confidence in my leaders.

Sewmouse... Senator Clinton may soon be the former President (I heard a rumor), but setting that aside even 'Thuglicans who want to diss the Democrats don't refer to anyone but Senator Clinton with a first name. Well...OK...someone mentioned that Cheney referred to Nancy Pelosi as "Nancy," but I couldn't track that down.

It was "Hillary Rodham" until Bill's comeback campaign for governor, then it was "Hillary Rodham Clinton" until around the end of the first term. Yes, the media is sanctimonious (and probably sexist) on this point (How often do you hear or read "Doctor" Rice or "Doctor" Albright as opposed to "Doctor" Kissinger?) but the Clinton Campaign is all for it. Why? "Hillary" is casual, like being a "Friend of Bill" and it helps with a candidate who does not have a public reputation for being warm and cuddly. Same reason why Bill quickly stopped signing official papers "William Jefferson Clinton" after taking office. It's all good, frawg.

I am a frequent violator of this. Although I do my best to say President Bush or Senator Clinton or whatever, I sometimes slip up and say G Dub or Hillary. Although I respect the offices they hold, I am not sure I respect them as people. Senator Clinton is intelligent and driven and would probably promote many things I agree with, but I don't trust her.

OK...that's officially weird. I'm sure that I responded to at least Abi's comment last night. Anyway I have to agree. I should really refer to her as "Secretary Rice" or "Dr. Rice". Well...when I'm not mocking her, of course.

Local Crank...nope, nope. Can't agree there. I know that I sort of put my foot in my mouth on this one, but I like that professional distance, and I don't think the Clinton campaign should tolerate the familiarity. I don't think it will serve them well in the long run.

Scott... Bush does not deserve respect, and Condeleezza Rice, IMHO, is saying enough really stupid sh*t to loose the benefit of the doubt, but Clinton still deserves the respect of the office and probably more for her composure during her husband's second term.